March Blows In

Happy Lent!

And happy March.

Last week was beautiful.

Had I taken the time earlier in that week to put my plastic

over the garden I'd intended for early crops, I could've easily

warmed the soil up enough to set seeds in action....but I didn't.

Still, this past weekend I did get 300 onions and all the salad crops

(lettuces, radishes, green onions, carrots, etc) planted.  The plastic is now

holding in what heat there is but I think it'll be a while before the soil

is warm enough to do it's magic. 

It has turned fairly cold and the 40+ mph winds are starting to wear on us.

The windows creak and even our very solid, brick house trembles.

If you have allergies you probably should just stay inside.

These are the days I'm glad my hair is still long enough for a pony tail.

I began a new quilt with these Indah Batik Pops that I won about a year

ago from the Fat Quarter Shop.  As a collection they're beautiful.

Taken apart, they presented some challenges for me.  Firstly,

there are lots of solids, and I'm not solid girl.  At least I wasn't.

We'll get back to that in a minute.

Also, they're pretty contemporary--another thing this girl is not,

but I can appreciate the style on occasion, especially in fabrics.

And lastly, being limited to just these 42 strips, I was going to

have to stretch the boundaries a little in my color combinations.

It wasn't long before I was admitting that playing around with the different

shades of solids was actually kind of fun.  I decided to let go of my

personal tastes and just starting making sets of 4 with no repeats.

It's amazing how, by switching out one fabric for another that's just

a single shade lighter or darker can change an entire look of a

combination.  Of course, with my limited strips, not all combinations

would be the greatest.   I had 42 different blocks to make.

(In retrospect, I'm not sure why I was hung up on not repeating.  Multiples could've

saved the day, so to speak.  Of course, we're not sure the day needs saving just yet.)

Missouri Star Card Trick Quilt

So, while my eyes are finally being opened to the fun and

simplicity of solids (gasp--yes, it has happened!),

I'm holding my breath.

I just have no idea how the quilt is going to look

but experience is telling me that they often work out just fine.

I have over half of my blocks made and I'm crossing my fingers.
Nervously looking forward to this finish!

(I'm also cold and jittery with all this blasted wind.)

I do have a small finish--four finishes actually.

I created these Lenten table centerpieces--candle mats--

for my three sisters (spoiler alert to them) and one for me.

The yellows are much softer and cheerier

than they look in the pictures, especially the one below.

I love how the cross looks like it's glowing.

I think that it'll work for Easter as well.

Each mat is 4 log-cabin blocks made from 1.5" strips.

They make great scrap busters--for fabric and batting.

I also successfully created my own sour dough starter.

This began with fermenting raisins and sugar in water.

After a week or so, this water is used to make the actual starter.

I figured a step like this was just the extra help I've been looking

for to ensure successful results down the road.

Sure enough, my starter was born and I named him Vesuvius...

because naming your starter is apparently a thing.

(I don't ask.  I just follow directions!)

He bubbles and he floats in water just as a successful starter should.

I spent an entire day working on my first sour dough bread

(I chose a tricky recipe I might add) and by midnight,

things were looking good--it was raising between foldings.

But after the prescribed overnight hours in the fridge,

I came up with two blobs of flat dough.

So I brought them to room temp.  I put them in a slightly warm oven.

Nothing.  Yet.  They're still in there.

And I'm not holding my breath on this one.  I'm convinced that,

though he was blamed for that whole Pompeii disaster,

I don't think Vesuvius is at fault for this one. 

I'm not sure what else to do but to try another recipe.

Maybe on a warmer day--admittedly, I keep a cold house.

Happy quilting.

And if you live in Kansas, tie your quilts down.

With chains.

And duct tape.